Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds has said Labour MPs are not seeking to raise taxes to fund more benefits, responding to leaked WhatsApp messages between work and pensions secretary Pat McFadden and Peter Mandelson. The messages, released on Monday, showed McFadden complaining that meetings focused on 'who can we tax in order to pay benefits to others?', which he described as asking the wrong questions.
Thomas-Symonds described the messages as 'embarrassing' but said they were made public due to the government's compliance with a humble address motion passed by MPs in February. He noted that his own phone had been stolen, preventing him from releasing his messages, though he verbally described their content to the Cabinet Office.
Asked about McFadden's comments, Thomas-Symonds said it was not his experience that Labour MPs were demanding tax rises for benefits. He emphasised McFadden's commitment to helping people find work rather than relying on welfare, pointing to a recent report on tackling youth unemployment by former health secretary Alan Milburn.
'I don't accept that Labour MPs are not determined to tackle the scourge of youth unemployment,' Thomas-Symonds said, adding that the party is united on this issue. He attributed the rising welfare bill to increases in the state pension and the triple lock, which he said he was proud to support.
On the Mandelson-Epstein relationship, Thomas-Symonds said he was 'absolutely shocked' last September when files revealed the depth of their friendship, leading to Mandelson's sacking as UK ambassador to the US. He confirmed that his stolen phone contained congratulatory messages to Mandelson on his appointment, which he would have been happy to release.
